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ACCESS TO JUSTICE GRANTS

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  • Formal name: Access to Justice (ATJ) Grants Program

  • Awarded annually since 2007

  • Source of funding: public funding through a grant from the District

  • Grant year: January 1 to December 31

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In 2007, the DC Bar Foundation began awarding grants under the Access to Justice (ATJ) Grants Program when the Council of the District of Columbia designated the Foundation as the administrator of these funds. ATJ grants support organizations that provide legal assistance in three areas: (a) underserved areas in DC; (b) housing-related matters; and (c) to support a shared legal services interpreter bank. Since 2007, the Foundation has awarded more than $113 million via ATJ grants to provide critical legal assistance to DC’s underserved residents.

 

APPLICANTS

Applications for the 2025 Access to Justice Grants Program closed on August 30, 2024. The Foundation hosted a grants information session in mid-July that provided an overview of the grant programs, funding for the FY25 grant cycle, the grants timeline, and the application process. The PowerPoint from that session can be found here.

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  • Applicants proposing eviction efforts for housing-related matters are encouraged to apply for funding under the ATJ grant program.

  • Applicants proposing eviction efforts that fall within the definition of "covered proceedings" are encouraged to apply for funding under the CLCPP grant program.

  • The Foundation does not require joint applications by any applicant except nonprofit organizations. To be eligible, a nonprofit organization must apply jointly with a legal services provider that meets the requirements outlined in the statutory language found below.

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Awards will be announced in mid-December 2024, with the grant year running from January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025.

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Links to sample application materials for FY25 are provided below.​​

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SAMPLE APPLICATION MATERIALS

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  • FY25 ATJ Application Sample for Legal Service Providers (PDF) | (Word)

  • FY25 ATJ Application Sample for Non-Legal Service Providers (PDF) | (Word)

  • FY25 ATJ Interpreter Bank Application Sample (PDF) | (Word)

  • FY25 Application Organization Profile Sample for Legal Service Providers (PDF) | (Word)

  • FY25 Application Organization Profile Sample for Non-Legal Service Providers (PDF) | (Word)

  • FY25 Access to Justice Grants Program Overview and Instructions (PDF)

  • FY25 Client Eligibility Guidelines on Residency and Income (PDF)

  • FY25 Data Packet Sample for Legal Service Providers (Excel)

  • FY25 Data Packet Sample for Non-Legal Service Providers (Excel)

  • FY25 Budget Narrative Explanation and Notes (Word)

  • FY25 Statutory Language, Access to Justice Initiative​ 

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FY24 GRANTEES

Organizations that receive funding through the publicly funded ATJ are required to provide financial reports and semi-annual programmatic reports. The reporting schedule for FY24 ATJ Grants (January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024) is below, along with the outline for programmatic reporting, the Grant Adjustment Request Form, and its attachments. Grant managers will receive an email notification when these reporting forms are ready to be completed.

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At any time, please contact us at grants@dcbarfoundation.org if you would like to discuss your project deliverables, budgets, or reporting deadlines.

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  1. Due April 26, 2024 by 5:00 pm: Quarterly Financial Report​, FY24 Quarterly Financial Report Form​

  2. Due July 26, 2024 by 5:00 pm: Quarterly Financial Report and Semiannual Programmatic Report​

  3. Due October 25, 2024 by 5:00 pm: Quarterly Financial Report

  4. Due January 31, 2025 by 5:00 pm: Quarterly Financial Report, Client Story, and Final Programmatic Report​

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